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These past few weeks have been busy. I got 5 more nucs last week, totaling 8 nucs now: 4 at our property, 2 at a farmhouse down the way, and 2 more next to some clover fields around the corner. I am filled with appreciation on how welcoming my family and the neighbors have been about this venture.

After an afternoon in a beeyard, trimming, tidying, and arranging bee equipment I was bagged and thought little of leaving my beekeeping apparel in a pile at the front door. Come morning I pick up my jacket from this pile and who lazily flies out but a stow-away honeybee! She lazily flew up the staircase to land on a window curtain high up on the wall, out of my reach. I laughed while wondering where she had hidden herself when I was wearing the coat.

Later on in the week with my Dad’s assistance we set-up another electric fence around 2 hives in a different bee yard. This location was previously a bee yard to another beekeeper but hadn’t been used in years. There were old, broken hive boxes, disheveled frame parts, some with comb still attached. As I walked around, saw and tidied up odds and ends of wooden-ware from years past and prepared the site for growth I felt like I was in the right place at the right time again.

More updates to follow as my bees settle in….

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Knowing everything I’ve been learnt about beekeeping floating so far – the bees’ living needs, nutritional needs, foraging needs, wintering needs, etc. – I thought it best to get a second opinion on the potential hive site we’d found. I invited Graeme Peterson, the founding member of the Ottawa Community Beekeeper’s Association to come assess the spot. He gave me loads of wonderful advise and suggested that atop the bluff was probably too windy, but around the side was an ideal location. Perfect. And I spotted a crabapple tree for foraging but 10 meters away too. They will be happy there, as there will be ample food around – corn that is treated with a bee-safe chemical in the field close-by, clover over yonder, hay in the opposite direction, the apple trees we’ve been planting nearby, a diversely treed forest, ponds a stone’s throw away. Better yet, this spot can practically be driven to by the RTV. Bueno. With that decided upon, the hive assembly begins on Sunday. Thankyou Graeme for your input; it was invaluable to me.